Field Preservation
When merging deals and persons, you can choose which field values survive. By default, Pipedrive keeps the surviving record’s values and only fills in empty fields from the deleted record. Field preservation lets you override this by selecting specific values from the deleted record to write onto the surviving record after the merge.
Configuring Preservation Fields
In Settings > Merge Tool > Field Preservation, select which deal and person fields should be offered for preservation during merges. Only configured fields appear in the merge preview and comparison modal.
- Add fields using the dropdown rows.
- Reorder fields by dragging the handle on the left of each row. The order in settings determines the display order in the comparison modal.
- Email and phone are available as person preservation fields with special handling (see below).
Field Preservation Groups
Groups let you organize fields into named sets for quick bulk selection.
Default group – A built-in group that cannot be removed. Fields assigned to Default are automatically pre-checked when a merge preview loads.
Custom groups – Click the “+” button next to the group chips to create additional groups (for example, “Enrollment” or “Marketing”). Each custom group appears as a chip that can be removed with the “x” button.
When multiple groups exist, a column of checkboxes appears next to each field row in settings, letting you assign each field to one or more groups. During a merge, group buttons appear above the preservation section. Clicking a group button selects exactly the fields in that group and deselects all others.
Use groups to create quick presets. For example, an “Enrollment” group might include Program, Start Date, and Campus fields that you always want to preserve together.
Field Comparison Modal
Click Review Fields in the merge preview to open a full-screen modal that spans the entire Pipedrive interface (not just the sidebar).
The modal displays a table with five columns:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Field | The field name |
| Keep value | The value on the surviving deal or person |
| Delete value | The value on the record being removed |
| Result | What the surviving record will contain after the merge |
| Preserve | Checkbox to overwrite the surviving value with the deleted value |
Tabs
When both deal and person fields are available for preservation, tabs at the top let you switch between them.
Group Buttons
When field preservation groups are configured, buttons appear below the tabs to bulk-select all fields in a group for the current tab.
Applying Selections
A running count of selected fields is shown in the footer. Click Apply to save your selections back to the merge panel, or Cancel to discard. Selections persist between opens – reopening the modal restores your previous choices for the current merge.
Email and Phone Handling
Email and phone fields behave differently from other preserved fields.
Comparison – The modal compares the complete sets of email addresses or phone numbers, not just the primary entry. If both persons have the exact same set of values (regardless of which is primary), no preservation option is offered. If there is any difference between the sets, the field appears in the modal showing all values from each person.
Display – In the modal, the primary entry is shown first and in bold. All other entries follow below it.
Preservation effect – When you select email or phone for preservation, the chosen value (from the deleted person) is promoted to primary on the merged contact. All other entries remain on the record but are demoted to non-primary.
Promoting a new primary email or phone affects which address Pipedrive uses by default for communication. Verify the intended primary value before confirming the merge.